X-ray systems are generally subdivided with regard to radiation protection conditions in accordance with their operating function such as, for example, fluoroscopy or radiography. Depending on operating function, it is necessary to have appropriate radiation protection for national or international approval of the x-ray system, in order to ensure patient protection and product reliability. For example, in addition to a shield at the underside of the solid state detector averted from the x-radiation, in Germany a solid state detector that is assigned to a fluoroscopic x-ray system must, in accordance with regulation EN/IEC 60601-1-3, additionally have a lateral shield and, at the top side facing the x-radiation, a shield on the side of the top edge which has a width of at least 30 mm.
If an x-ray system is multifunctional, that is to say equipped with a number of operating functions, a solid state detector approved for all operating functions must fulfill the radiation protection provisions in accordance with the operating function having the most stringent regulations. This leads in the case of multifunctional x-ray systems to restrictions on the remaining operating functions.
If a solid state detector is assigned to a radiographic x-ray system that has an additional fluoroscopic function, for example the so-called “positioning”, it must then fulfill the regulations for a fluoroscopic x-ray system, that is to say it must have at the top side a shield on the side of the top edge which has a width of at least 30 mm. If the aim is to take an image of the lung with the aid of the radiographic function, it would, however, be important to keep the distance between the side edge and active surface as small as possible and, specifically, much below 30 mm in order to also image the lung tips completely.